Cotton-comber.



G. M. WHITIN.

COTTON COMBER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25, I9I4.

1,151,143. Patented 24, 1915.

- WJTNESSES: 7* L [NVE/V701?. l

ZKM

, ATTORNEY.

COLUHB A PLNDURP" C0 WASHINGTON D C G. M. WHITIN.

COTTON COMBEB.

APPLICATION FILED API1.25. I9I4.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915;

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WTNESSES:

K M WWW ATTORNEY.

-G. M. WHmN.

COTTON CDMBER.

APPLICATVION FILED APR.25|1914.

1,151,143. Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WTNESSES: /NI/ENTOR.

COLUMBIA PLANoaRAPu cq., wAnlutjaroN.. D. c.

,. ATTORNEY.

G. M. WHITIN.

COTTON COMBER.

APPLICATION F1151) AP11.25. 1914.

SHEET 4.

TTORNEY.

Patented Aug.

5 S H E E T S- [NVE/V701? G. M. WHITIN.

COTTON COMBERI APPLICATION FILED APR.25. 1914.

1,1 5 1,143. Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

5 SHEETSTSHEET 5.

A T TORNE Y.

COLUMBIA PLANouRAPvI-l COWASHINGT'ON. n. c,

GEORGE M. WHITIN, OF WHITINSVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

COTTON-Corinna.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

Application filed Apr125, 1914. Serial No. 834,308.

17 '0 ult lwlw/n, 'it ur: fly concern.

Be it known that l, GEORGE M. lVi-ri'rm, a citizen of the United States,residing at lVhitinsville, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented the following described Improvements inCotton-Combers.

The invention is an improved construction of combing apparatus speciallyadapted for producing thoroughly combed sliver with a low percentage ofwaste production, that is to say, the object of the invention is toreduce the percentage of good fibers thrown down as waste withoutsacrificing the quality of the product sliver, and to attain this resultwith high speed and high production, but other objects are also includedin the invention, and these and the principle on which the inventionoperates, will all become apparent t0 those skilled in this art, in thefollowing description and drawings and also by the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a transverse section of a part of one ofthe combing hea ds of a comber, taken through the working parts of thecomb cylinder and coperating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a top plan ofl theparts shown in Fig. l, adjacent to one of the intermediate frameuprights of the machine. F ig. 3 is a detailed section of Fig. Q on.line III-lll. Fig. Je is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig.f2, broken away in places to illustrate parts in rear. Fig. 5 is anelevation of one end of the comliing cylinder and detaching roll, bothends of such parts being alike. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line Vif-VI of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 represents a modified form, the view 'being asection adjacent the end supports of the several rolls; Fig. 8 (on Sheet3) is a perspective view of the vbearing block for the detaching rollused in this form of the invention; and 9 a modified form.

The drawings illustrate only those Darts of the comber which aredirectly concerned with the treatment of the cotton. The rest of themachine may be constructed in any manner suitable for operating theparts shown and according to the functions thereof as hereinafterexplained; it may be, for example, as shown in Patent No. 822,479, datedJune 5th, 1906, or as connnon in the art of Heilmann combers. It will beunderstood that the machine comprises several similar combing heads. andalso a drivehead, the former being disposed in a row with certainoperating shafts running through them to the drive-head at one end bywhich they are operated. The combing heads are supported by a series ofintermediate frame uprights such as partially shown at 1. These haveupper margins which are inclined and support the bearings for the feedrolls and piecing mechanism bolted to them. The said upper margin of theupright has heretofore formed a continuous inclined plane from its upperto its lower end, but in the present case the upper portion as indicatedat 2, is cnt down so as to be offset or depressed with .reference to theforward portion thereof, thus providing a supporting surface for thejournal block 3 of the shaft of the feed roll l, which is lower thanformerly and therefore permits the shaft to operate nearer to the axisof the comb cylinder. The feed-roll shaft et may be one of the severalcontinuous shafts above mentioned, which are common to all the heads anddriven by the drive-head. The lap of cotton supplied from the lap rollon a Creel-frame, not shown, moves downwardly on the lap plate 5, intothe bite which this roll a has upon an upper feed roll G, the latterbeing held in engagement therewith by means of arms 7, which aresubjected to spring-pressure as customary in cotton combers. ln thepresent case the arms hold the top feed roll 6 on the forward side ofthe lower feed roll so that the common tangentof such rolls, at their'point of contact, inclines downwardly toward the comb cylinder. The twofeed rolls are thus disposed at an inclination with respect to thecombcylinder, and they are made with sharp intermeshing flutes asindicated. The forward rotation o-f these rolls, which may beintermittent as usual, advances the end of the lap into the jaws 8 and 9of the nipper mechanism which open for the purpose. The lowernipper jaw8, or soi-called cushion plate, is rigidly supported beneath the feedrolls and by means of parts not indicated, but which hold it in a fixedposition wherein its nipping edge is close to the path of travel of' theneedleand detaching half-laps of the combing cylinder. The other aw 9,or nipper-knife, is carried by nipper arms l0, operating to close theknife edgewise against the cushion plat-e so as to nip the fringe ofcotton lap thereagainst and hold it projecting therefrom during theoperation of the needle half-lap in the usual way. The nipper knifeopens in time fo-r the detachment, moving upwardly above the said commontangent of the feed rolls.l The knife, in order to partake of thesemovements, is inclined in the same direction as the two feed rolls, andthe usual top comb 11 immediately in front of the knife is similarlyinclined,

The comb cylinder 13 comprises the needle half-lap 12 abo-ve mentionedand a detaching segment 15, both carried on the cylinder shaft let whichis journaled in the frame upright 1, and driven by the drive head.Immediately following the combing of the nipped tuft, the nipper aw 9opens and the detaching half-lap or segment 15 'thereupon engages thecombed fringe or tuft, pressing it against the under side of thedetaching roll 16. This roll is a leather-covered roll and cooperateswith the detaching segment to draw the combed fringe from the body ofthe lap, held by the feed rolls 1 and 6, drawing the tail end of suchtuft through the open nippers and also through the top comb 11 andforwarding or projecting it under a second roll 17, and into engagementwith a third roll 1S, which latter turns the tuft upwardly betweenitself and the second roll. The second and third rolls, 17 and 18, arepiecing rolls, rotated independently of the detaching roll and out ofcontact therewith. The roll 18 is relatively large in proportion to thedetaching roll, being formed on a shaft common to all of combing headsand driven by gearing in the drive-head which gives it an intermittentforward rotation holding it stationary, or turning it backwardly,between forward strokes, as already known in piecing motions. The shaftis j ournaled in pillows 20, which are adjustably mounted on the frameuprights 1 and from the supporting means of the other rolls and certainof their appurtenances as will later appear. The roll 17 isleathercovered, although this is not necessary, and is individual toeach head, that is to say, it is wholly contained wit-hin the head,being removable therefrom like the detaching roll. Its end gudgeons 17a(Fig. 3) are each incased in gudgeon sleeves 171D which rest by aslabbed side upon the inclined surface of a bearing block 22, the latteradjustably bolted to a bracket arm 23 projecting laterally andrearwardly from the pillow block 20 above referred to. The supportingsurface of the bearing block 22 is inclined downwardly toward the frontof the machine so that when the gudgeon sleeves 17b are resting thereonthe working face of the roll 17 is caused to bear against the largerpiecing roll 18, but does not project into the path of the segment, fromwhich it is separated by a narrow crevice of sufficient width to allowthe detached and combed tuft to pass through it. The roll 17 is urgeddownwardly and forwardly so as to bear firmly against third roll 1S bypressure applied to its gudgeons by a saddle member 24 which bears onthe gudgeon sleeve 17b and also on the corresponding gudgeon sleeve 16bof the detaching roll 16. The said saddle .is

ed at 27 beneath the cylinder 13 and weighty' ed at its forward end byva link 2S and a weight or spring, not shown. The stirrup can be liftedagainst the pressure of this lever and removed, with the saddle, frompressing relation upon the rolls, whereupon both rolls may be removed.r1`he pressure applied by this single means, to the ends of both rolls,also serves to press the detaching roll in a rearward direction, ortoward the rear side ofthe comb cylinder, and for this purpose thedetaching roll is supported or guided in open slots in the blocks 22,which slots lie at the said inclination. The sleeves 16b on the gudgeons161 of the detaching roll are slabbed on both sides, parallel, andinserted in the slots being supported therein in a position in which theworking surface of the roll will be engaged by the kdetaching segment asabove described, but will escape the needles of the half-lap. When thebracket arm 23 is a fixed part of the machine, as in thepresent case,the detaching segment is mounted m the cylinder with its surfaceslightly higher than the points of the needles, and the position of thedetaching roll is fixed so as to clear the latter but yet to be engagedby the segment. r1`he means for determining this position of the rollaccording to the present invention comprise two elements or sets ofelements, either one or both ef which may be used in the same machine.1n the construction illustrated by Figs. l.-(`.,`1'hc ends of the rollare formed or otherwise provided with bosses 31, which are cylindricalor circular in cross section and no larger in diameter than the body ofthe roll, preferably slightly smaller' as indicated. These bosses arefixed to the body of the roll, and rest on two circular bearing surfaces82 formed on, or rotating with the comb cylinder 13 at each end. rlhediameters of such circular bearing surfaces 32 and bosses 31 areproportioned to support the working face of the roll in the positionabove referred to, except when it is vengaged and slightly lifted by thedetaching segment. case support the detaching roll in a lateral sense,as guiding means, permitting the roll to yield to the impact from thesegment in an upward and forward direction, which yielding is againstthe pressure of the saddle. IThe gudgeon sleeves 161 may not engage Kanysurface or support to limit the r1`he slots in the blocks 22 in thisextent of their entrance into their slo-ts when themachine isthus'constructed. The frictional engagement of the bearing surfaces 32and bosses 31 causes the latter to drive the detaching roll in a-forward direction, and also at a slightly higher surface speed than thedetaching segment so that the said roll is rotating when engagedby thesegment and the latter is therefore relieved of the duty of overcomingits inertia. The tendency toward slipping or imperfect grip on the tuftis thereby reduced, particularly under high speeds.

It should be noted. that the drawings purposely exaggerate theproportions of the parts above described, for clearness of illustration,but it will be understood that the relative dimensions of the bosses 31and the ring bearings 32, are intended to be so adjust-ed as to producethe action described with the least shock and jar, and preferably,though not necessarily, so as to rotate the detaching roll with aslightly higher surface speed than the segment. lVhen the bearingsurfaces 32 extend continuously around thecylinder from back to front ofthe segment, as in Figs. 1 to G, the detaching roll is supported whollythereby and by the segment, being merely guided or held in position bythe supporting blocks Figs. 7-9 illustrate a construction in which theboss-driving bearings are present only immediately in front of thedetaching segment and the bearing blocks 22 are provided with adjustablesupports to withstand the saddle pressure on the roll. As shown in Fig.9, the bearing members 1Q are mounted at the ends of the cylinder,extending forwardly about 90o in front of the forward side of thesegment. These members are adapted to engage the roll bosses 31 in timeto start the detaching roll in motion before it engages the segment.After the segment passes the roll, it rests, by its gudgeons, onbearings formed in the bottom of the slots in the blocks 22. Thesebearings are each formed by the fiat, enlarged end 33 of a screw 34,tapped into the block and slot, where the gudgeon sleeve 161 may rest onit, the sleeve being slabbed on a bevel for this purpose, as indicatedat 35. rllhe screw thus `forms a compact and vstable bottom bearing forthe detaching roll, which is accessible from the rear of the machine foradjustment. Itwill be evident that it would be equally useful forsupporting the detachingl roll during the whole interval betweendetachments. By the adjustment of the screw, the roll canbe set so thatthe bearing members 12 will engage the bosses with the least jar, theforward ends of said bearing members, and also the forward edge of thedetaching segment being beveled for the same purpose.

The uted clearer roll 19 is held as usual in the horsetails 29, thelatter being pivoted on the horsetail supports 30, bolted to thepillow-block 20 above referred to. This clearer roll rests by its ownweight and the weight of its horsetails upon the fluted piecing roll 18and directs the combed and pieced tufts into the usual sliver pan orother means by which it is condensed and delivered from the machine.

The saddle 24 which spans the adjacent gudgeon sleeves 17 and 16b ispivotally connected to the end of the stirrup 25, and formed with adownward extension, or leg, on its front side which is concaved to fitthe gudgeon sleeve of roll 17. The rear end is fiat where it rests onthe gudgeon sleeve of roll 16 and the relation of its pivotaljoint andthe two gudgeon bearings is such that the pressure is divided aboutequally bettween such gudgeons and notwithstanding that the detachingroll yields forwardly while the piecing roll 17 yields rearwardly.Obviously the said saddle could be formed otherwise to produce the sameeffect. The engagement of its concave bearing upon the gudgeon sleeve17b permits it to be rocked forwardly thereon, as indicated by thedotted line position in Fig. 7. When in this position the pressure isrelieved from the detaching roll and the bearing block slot is opened sothat that roll can be removed without relieving all the pressure on theforward roll, or unhooking the stirrup from its stud on theweight-lever, this being a feature of convenience as a time saver, sincedetachin g rolls require frequent attention. By pushing on the stirrupsthe saddles are readily replaced in normal position.

1n order to vary the pressure applied by the common weighting means tothe two rolls 16 and 17, the direction of pull on the stirrup is shiftedforwardly or backwardly, as desired, and this is preferably accomplishedby the means shown in the drawings (Fig. 7). rllhe pivot stud 27 on thelever 26, is carried by a slide 43, which is capable of adjustmenthorizontally by operating the screw 441. It will be evident that byshifting the pivot stud forwardly, a greater pressure is brought to bearon the roll 17, and by shifting it in the opposite direction, thegreater proportion of pressure is transmitted to the detaching roll.

The operation of the comber will be apparent without furtherdescription. It will be noted that the detaching roll operatesindependently of the piecing rolls and is called upon to revolve only ina forward direction, taking its motion directly from the combr cylinder,while the piecing rolls 17 and 18 are driven from the drive-head onfixed axes. The motion they receive advances the detached tuft farenough to avoid contact of the needle half-lap with the tail end of thetuft but to present or leave a suflicient length of tail to form theoverlap with the neXt detachment.

The supporting mechanism for the top comb-11 has not been shown ordescribed because it may be made in any usual or suit- 1 which brings.it to its lowest point at the proper moment. The support for the nipperjaw or cushion plate 8, also omitted from the drawings, may likewise beprovided in any suitable form. Preferably such jaw is held in about theposition indicated, that is to say, somewhat in the rear of the verticalcenter' of the comb cylinder.

I claim :A

l. In a cotton comber, means for feeding and nipping the lap, a top comband a combcylinder, in combination with two adjacent rolls arranged infront of the top comb and both adapted to nip the tuft beneath them,such rolls having sleeve bearings on their gudgeons and means common toadjacent sleeves for impart-ing the nipping pressure to the said rolls.

2. In a cotton comber, lap-feeding and nipping means, a top comb and acomb-cylinder' in combination with a detaching roll, and piecing meansindependent of such roll, said means comprising a roll in front of thedetaching roll and means for weighting said two rolls comprising alsaddle device spanning the end bearings thereof.

3. In a cotton comber, lap-feeding and nipping means, a top comb andacomb cylinder having a detaching segment, a detaching roll adapted tonip the tuft against the segment, a roll in front of the detaching rollbetween which and the detaching segment the tuft passes, saddlesspanning the gudgeons of said rolls and means for weighting the saidsaddles.

4. In a cotton-comber having lap feeding and nipping means, and a combcylinder with a'detaching segment thereon, the combination of a'detaching roll engaging the segment in front of the nipping means, aseparate roll in front ofthe detaching roll and a third roll in front ofthe second, means for supporting the rst and second rolls 5.*In a cottoncomber the combination with the lap-feeding and nipping means, a combcylinder having a detaching segment, and a detaching roll adapted t0engage the segment, of a. pair ofintermi'ttently operat-l ing, piecingrolls in front ofthe detaching roll, one of which rolls is subject topressure against the other, means for applying such pressure comprisinga saddle one end such nipping means, means forv weighting two of suchrolls comprising a saddle acting on the adjacent ends thereof and astirrup member permanently oined to the saddle.

7. In a cotton comber, means for detaching and piecing the tuftscomprising two weighted rolls, a saddle acting on adjacent gudgeons ofsaid rolls and a weighting stirrup to which the saddle is pivotallyconnected.

8. In a cotton comber, means for detaching and Ipiecing the tuftscomprising two weighted rolls, a saddle bearing with one end on the endof one of said rolls and having a leg which bears upon the end of theother roll and a Weighting stirrup joined to the saddle.

9. In a cotton comber, the combination with the comb cylinder having adetaching segment, and lap-feeding and nipping means, of a detachingroll in front of the nipping means, a piecing roll in front of thedetaching .roll and a pair of weighting stirrups having saddle meanspermanently connected thereto for applying the nipping pressure to bothsaid rolls, the said stirrups being adapted to be removed from the rollswhen removing the latter and having their lower ends extended below saidrolls.

10. In a cotton comber, the combination with the combl cylinder having adetaching segment, of a detaching roll, a second roll in front ofthedetaching roll, both rolls having gudgeon sleeves, a weighting stirrupfor both rolls having a saddle permanently connected therewith andapplying nipping pressure to adjacent gudgeon sleeves thereof, the saidstirrups and saddles being removable from the comber.

l1. In ai Heilmann type cotton comber, the combination with thelap-feeding and nipping means, `ofa comb cylinder having a segment, adetaching roll and piecing rolls separate therefrom, of supporting andguiding means for the detaching roll and one of the piecing rollsconsisting of a block the upper surface whereof supports the saidpiecing roll, a slot in said block to receive the gudgeon of thedetaching roll, and means for adjusting said gudgeon within the recess.

- 12. In a cotton comber having detaching and piecing rolls both havinggudgeon sleeves, one of `which rolls coacts with a detaching segment andthe other with another piecing roll, means for applying nipping pressureto both said rolls comprising a stirrup member, and a saddle supportingthe latter and set upon adjacent gudgeon sleeves of both rolls so thatit spans the gudgeons thereof, and a weight lever engaged to the stirrupand imparting pressure therethrough to the saddle.

13. In a cotton comber, lap-feeding and nipping means, a comb cylinderhaving a needle-half-lap, forwardly and rearwardly inclined bearingsurfaces at the ends of the cylinder, a detaching roll mounted by itsgudgeons on the rearwardly inclined surfaces, a second roll mounted bythe gudgeons on the forwardly inclined surfaces, means for supportingthe detaching roll on its said bearing surfaces so that it escapescontact with the needle-halflap and a common pressure means for bothrolls including a saddle member spanning the gudgeons thereof andimparting nipping pressure to said rolls.

14;. In a cotton comber, lap-feeding and nipping means, a comb cylinderhaving a detaching segment, a detaching roll coperating therewith andhaving a boss by which it is driven, a second roll in front of thedetaching roll and out of contact therewith, and a common means forweighting both said rolls, in combination with roll-driving members atthe ends of said cylinder adapted to engage the said boss and rotate thedetaching roll. f

15. In a cotton comber, lap-feeding and nipping means, a comb cylinder,bracket arms at the ends of such cylinder having forwardly andrearwardly inclined bearing surfaces, a detaching roll mounted by itsgudgeons on the rearwardly inclined surfaces and a second roll mountedon the forwardly inclined surfaces, in combination with bosses on theends of the detaching roll and driving bearings for such bosses at theends of the cylinder, such bearings being adapted to support thedetaching roll upon its said rearwardly inclined bearing surfaces, andweighting means for said rolls arranged to press the detaching roll uponthe said surfaces and the driving bearings.

16. In a cotton comber, the combination with a comb cylinder having adetaching segment, a detaching roll engaging intermittently therewithand provided with bosses having a diameter not exceeding the workingsurface of the roll, and driving surfaces concentric with the cylinderadapted to engage and rotate such bosses prior to the engagement of theroll with the detaching segment.

17. In a cotton comber, the combination of lap-feeding and nippingmeans, a comb cylinder having a detaching surface, a detaching rollengaging intermittently therewith and means for rotating the detachingroll prior to such engagement, in the same direction and at a highersurface speed.

18. In a cotton comber, a comb cylinder having a needle half lap and adetaching segment radially higher on the cylinder th-an the points ofthe needles, in combination with a detaching roll having bosses iXedthereon, and bearing surfaces concentric with the cylinder adapted toengage and rotate the bosses prior to the engagement of the high segmentwith the working surface of the detaching roll.

19. In a cotton comber, a comb cylinder, having a detaching segment, adetaching roll engaged thereby, piecing rolls operating independently ofthe detaching roll and means for forwardly driving the detaching rollprior to and at the beginning of its engagement by the segment.

20. In a cotton comber, the combination with a comb cylinder having aneedle-halflap and detaching segment, a detaching roll having end bosseswhereby it is supported and rotated prior to its engagement with thesegment, ring bearings on the cylinder adapted to support and drive saidbosses, said bearings being proportioned to support the working face ofthe roll above the needle .half-lap and below the detaching surface ofthe segment.

21. In a cotton comber, the combination of a comb cylinder having aneedle-half-lap, a. detaching roll, bearing members on the cylinderadapted to support and rotate the detaching roll with its workingsurface above the needle points, a detaching segment on the combcylinder adapted to engage the roll ii'hile supported on said bearingmembers, and a beveled surface on the segment tending to raise thedetaching roll by engagement therewith.

22. In a cotton comber, the combination of a comb cylinder having` adetaching segnient, an independent detaching roll engaged by the segmentand means for piecing the tufts detached thereby, in combination withsupporting means for the ends of the detaching roll comprising an armhaving a slot therein, an adjustable bottom bearing in the slot, gudgeonsleeves on said roll confined in said slot and adapted to rest in saidbottom bearings duringthe intervals between engagement of the detachingroll by the segment.

E23. In a cotton comber, a comb cylinder having a detaching segment, adetaching roll having gudg'eon sleeves and means for supporting the samecomprising a bearing block slotted to receive such sleeve and providedwith a screw tapped within said block and slot and forming a bottombearing for the sleeve in the slot.

24.. In a cotton comber, a comb cylinder having a detaching segment adetaching roll provided with a gudgeon sleeve and means for supportingthe roll comprising a slotted bearing block receiving the sleeve, ascrew tapped into the block and slot from the rear of the comber andforming a bearing for the sleeve.

In a cotton comber, the combination with a comb cylinder having adetaching segment and a detaching roll having bosses at its ends bywhich it is driven, of roll driving means in the cylinder for engagingthe 'bosses to start the detaching roll in motion prior to itsengagement by the segment.

Q6. In a cotton comber, the combination with the detaching roll, of astirrup member for transmitting pressure to such roll and means adaptingsuch member to be shifted from engagement with the roll withoutrelieving vthe pressure on the stirrups.

27. In a cotton combler, a detaching roll, a stirrup member subjected topressure, 'a device receiving pressure from the stirrup and adapted totransmit itto the detaching roll, and a bearing for said device on whichit may be turned to interrupt such transmission to the detaching roll.

2S. In a cotton comber, a detaching roll,

and a stirrup subjected to pressure and ar ranged to transmit the sameto the roll, in combination with a device connected with the stirrup andhaving a bearing or support whereb;7 forward pull on the stirruprelieves the roll from pressure.

In a cotton comber, the combination with the comb cylinder', and tworolls adapted to cooperate to detach and piece the combed tufts, of aco-mmon means for transmitting nipping pressure to both such rolls andmeans for varying the proportion of pressure transmitted to each.

30. In a cotton comber, the combination with the comb cylinder and tworolls adapted for operation on the combed tufts, of a member spanningboth-rolls, a stirrup applying pressure to both such rolls through thesaid member and means for shifting the direction of pull of saidstirrup.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two witnesses.

GEORGE M. VHITIN.

IVitnesses I/VILLIAM H. Hoon, OSCAR L. OWEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, hy addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

, Washington, D. C. A

